Craft tours on offer

Below are upcoming craft tours:

Ecuador – Culture and Textiles
(Ecuador)
Presented by Christine Pearson
30 July – 9 August 2020
The land of the Panama hat, Ecuador has a rich variety of handcrafted textiles.
We visit women’s groups and engage in hands-on workshops whilst learning about the unique cultures of various ethnic groups. The variety of the natural fibre and dyed articles are amazing and it is impossible not to come home without a heavier suitcase. Valerie Kirk, our textile expert will also introduce you to contemporary textile artists providing an insight into all aspects of Ecuadorian textile production. This trip has the opportunity to visit Galapagos before the mainland tour.
https://intent.id.au

Peru Textiles with Valerie Kirk
(Peru)
Presented by Robert Fletcher
9 August – 25 August 2020
The skill of Peruvian weavers has confronted experts for centuries. Join Valerie Kirk and experience the vast collections of Peruvian Textiles at museums and then in workshops with traditional weavers and dyers in small remote villages.
Recognised as a unique and spectacular region for ancient ruins, beautiful mountains, former civilisations and hospitable people, Peru is also justifiably known for its textiles. Valerie will also take you to UNESCO sites and introduce you to contemporary textile artists and producers. A three day Ayacucho option to discover the southern textiles and crafts is available.
https://intent.id.au

A Different Morocco with Sue Buckle
(Morocco)
Presented by Sue Buckle
14 September – 30 September 2020
Join Sue on her fourth small group journey as she travels south from Rabat on the Atlantic coast, to Fez and the southern caravan routes through to Marrakesh. Enjoy real home-cooked meals at our traditional style Riads and Kasbahs. From tribal textiles and crafts to exquisite architecture, and from the souks of Marrakesh to the High Atlas Mountains, Morocco is sure to become a destination to love. Travel the ancient caravan routes dotted with mud-brick Kasbahs and spend a night in the Sahara to enjoy Berber hospitality under the desert skies. See ancient craft skills practised today and search the souks for items to create your unique pieces at Sue’s beading workshop.
https://intent.id.au

Kolkata
(India)
Presented by Julia Raath
21 October – 5 November 2020
This 16 day tour is designed as an introduction to a fascinating part of India. We start and end the tour in Kolkata, India’s second largest city and capital of West Bengal. The tour focus is on textiles and crafts and group members will participate in block printing and kantha embroidery workshops. We travel north to Murshidabad, Shantiniketan and Bishnupur where we learn more about village based crafts including fine silk and cotton weaving, leather craft, lost wax metal casting, and ceramic sculptures. We meet local designers and artisans who create these exquisite works. We discover interesting fruits and vegetables and learn about the way that Bengali food is different from other Indian cuisines. Also included in the program is visits to significant religious and cultural sites which give us an insight in to the history and customs of West Bengal.
surfaced.com.au

Discover Crafted India from Kerala to the UNESCO site of Hampi.
(India)
Presented by Sue Buckle
1 November – 30 November 2020
Travel from the coast of Kerala, over the Western Ghats to Mysore, across the Deccan Plateau to the UNESCO site of Hampi and concluding in the Pearl City of Hyderabad. Spend time with artisans and discover a myriad of crafts and culture from fibre and textiles, ceramics, dance and costume. Create wonderful Kerala cuisine at a cooking class, Visit spice and tea plantations, wildlife reserves, and ancient historic sites. Enjoy a great variety of unique experiences on Sue’s small group journey.
https://intent.id.au

Thread & Festivals of Assam and Nagaland
(India)
Presented by Christina Sumner
25 November – 10 December 2020
Explore the threads and festivals of Northeast India on this rare and exclusive small-group journey escorted by Christina Sumner OAM. Former principal curator of the Powerhouse Museum, Christina will share her knowledge and passion for India and its ancient textile history as you explore the wild beauty and tribal cultures of this remote and exotic destination.

Delve into the delights of relatively-undeveloped Assam and Nagaland as you explore the threads and festivals of these lush and captivating landscapes and immerse yourself in their unique cultures.

Highlights include:
* encounters with gorgeous eri silk, the fabric of peace
* UNCESCO-acclaimed Majuli Island and its Mishing weavers
* glamping in Kohima’s luxury camp
* one-horned rhino safari in Kaziranga
* three stunning festivals, two celebrating local textile traditions and Nagaland’s renowned Hornbill Festival.

Prices per person in AUD:
$13,492 (twin share)
$17,907 (single)
$16,601 (twingle – your own room except for Kohima tented camp where you share with another traveller for 3 nights – subject to availability)
https://forwardtravel.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Threads-and-Festivals-of-Assam-and-Nagaland-2020.pdf

Cultural Textiles: Gujarat
(India)
Presented by Liz Williamson
2 December – 18 December 2020
Cultural Textiles: Gujarat is a 17 days tour of Gujarat state in Western India viewing amazing textiles, visiting incredible sites, meeting skilled artisans and sharing unique experiences within a region that uniquely blends the historic, traditional, cultural and contemporary. Organised by weaver and academic Liz Williamson, with an emphasis on textiles especially weaving of the region, on the tour you will experience the culture, landscape, environment and beauty of this state, while visiting museums with outstanding textile collections and artisan groups specializing in weaving, embroidery, natural dyes, bandhani or block printing. Weaving in this region includes Patola (double ikat), Mashru, Tangelia, Khadi, weft ikat, silk brocade, woolen shawls, cotton and wool dhurries plus rugs woven with strips of old saree fabric.

Crosshatched Ceramic Tour 2021
(India)
Presented by Sandra Bowkett
1 February – 1 March 2021
Arriving in New Delhi and based in Old Delhi a day of orientation and sightseeing. Then visiting Kumhaargram, a community of several hundred Rajasthani potting families to see a variety of traditional making techniques with the possibility of working on their wheels. New Delhi’s contemporary ceramics is vibrant, visits to studios and galleries. Into Rajasthan to spend time in several iconic cities visiting their cultural attractions as well as small towns to experience their ceramic communities. Tours either end of the Crosshatched tour for residencies or more sightseeing can be suggested and in some cases facilitated.
http://www.crosshatched123.com.au/whats-next-1